Search this blog

Subscribe To

"Never under any condition should this nation look at an immigrant as primarily a labor unit. He should always be looked at primarily as a future citizen."-Theodore Roosevelt, 1917

"It is not possible to be in favor of justice for some people and not be in favor of justice for all people."-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

"Isaona i tumungo’ ya ha sedi, ki ayo i mismo umisagui hao. Greater is the fault of he who allows the injustice upon himself. "-Chamorro proverb

"There can be no tyrants where there are no slaves." -Jose Rizal

"I am not interested in picking up crumbs of compassion thrown from the table of someone who considers himself my master. I want the full menu of rights." -Bishop Desmond Tutu

Disclaimer: This is not a legal blog. No opinion or statement should be perceived as legal advice. All posts are the opinion of the author or contributors who are expressing their First Amendment Rights.

So many products in the U.S. are marked "Made in China", but it looks like some Chinese want their children to be "Made in the USA" so that they can have all the privileges that comes with U.S. citizenship. The CNMI Asian baby mill is being boldly advertised once again. This time it is not the South Koreans flocking to the CNMI to give birth, but the Chinese.

Naturally, some foreign parents will have babies born in the CNMI, including foreign contract workers who consider the CNMI their home after spending most of their adult lives working and living in the islands. However, the foreigners who are coming to Saipan for the purpose of delivering babies that will be granted immediate U.S. citizenship are in no way a part of the community. They will return to China or Korea after the babies are delivered at CHC.

The CNMI Delegate, the Governor, and some vocal Republicans in the U.S. Congress (if we are to believe the spin) do not want the legal, long-term foreign contract workers to be given green cards or a pathway to citizenship even though for decades they have contributed so much to the CNMI community. Not one CNMI official has come out to discuss the fact that Saipan has become a backdoor for U.S. citizenship for Chinese tourists, who are strangers who will drop some dollars for a month or two, give birth in the CNMI to create instant U.S. citizens and leave. Perhaps they are silent on the subject because they fear that the visa waivers will disappear if the federal officials hear about this.

The websites that are geared to pregnant Chinese and Korean women, saipanbaby.com known as Kelly and saipanbb.com known as Saipan Children Services Agency, give the impression that the CNMI government is aware of and encouraging this practice. According to both websites the Commonwealth Health Center, the government-run hospital, is involved in booking hospital rooms, setting up prenatal appointments, arranging for the attending physicians and all other hospital-related arrangements for the Chinese mothers. All arrangements from travel, to accommodations, hospital appointments, and securing the newborn's social security card and passport are arranged by the baby tourism companies who charge between $9,775 and about $11,000 per woman. They are coordinating their efforts with multiple people on Saipan.

In accordance with the provisions of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, the United States to implement the birthplace principle, as long as the child born on U.S. soil, regardless of their parents are not U.S. citizens, the child shall be a U.S. citizen. . .

In 2008, the Saipan Director of Immigration, Melvin Grey said to help foreign women to the state to have children within this approach is fairly common, but in accordance with the provisions of the Fourteenth Amendment, the state or the United States Federal Immigration Service cannot do anything.

He said: "This does not belong to illegal activities. The United States has this problem."
He said U.S. immigration officials sometimes ask a pregnant woman to prove that during her stay in the local payment of the corresponding expenditure, enter What is the purpose in the United States, but as long as these women can produce relevant evidence, completely legal immigration.

He said: "The United States immigration officials is difficult to deal with these things, because women generally come to visit friends, do not stay too long."

He also said that the local immigration officials generally do not ask the purpose of entry of local pregnant women.

He said: "We do not want to ask these questions, the lady of this will bring pressure." He added that if you exert too much pressure, unforeseen circumstances may cause women to have abortions, and if that happens is a serious violation of humanitarian principles.

I omitted confusing text about abortion. You can click on the PDFs below to enlarge and read:

It isn't clear if Melvin Grey is involved in bringing the women to the CNMI, if he endorses the site, if he actually stated the words that were attributed to him, if he profits from the baby tourism business, or if he even knows he is featured on the site. But he is featured on the site and that alone is damning.

It is clear that there are people in the CNMI who are profiting off of the baby tourism business. These people include the hotels, guest houses or apartments where the women stay; those that are serving as "guides"and travel agents; those that are serving as the private nannies for the babies; those who are collecting fees for the hospital services and those delivering the babies. Is this one of the ways that CHC plans to recover from bankruptcy? What do Juan Babauta and the hospital physicians have to say about the "several hundred women a year" who deliver babies at the CHC to attain U.S. citizenship?

The Saipan contact number listed on the website is 670-235-2335. Who is this person? One hotel featured and promoted on the Saipan baby site is the Aquarius. Photos of the apartments and guesthouses are also featured on the sites.

For quite some time Saipan has been advertised in Korea as a place for pregnant women to deliver their babies in order for them to receive US citizenship. Last year I discovered that Korean agencies were teamed up with individuals in Saipan to arrange for the mothers' stay at a Saipan hotel, coordinate the hospital and delivery details, and process passports in package deals like any other vacation packages. The pregnant mothers arrive as tourists and return to Korea with their new US citizen babies.

Now the media is reporting that the scheme has spread to China. A July 12, 2008 article from The New American Media reports:

The Consolidated Natural Resources Act 2008, which was signed into law by President Bush in May, has become a springboard for Chinese nationals to immigrate to the United States, reports the World Journal. The Act enables the United States to take over the labor and immigration system of Saipan, the largest island and capital of the U.S. Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Lawyers say that employers in Saipan are allowed to apply for U.S. work visas for immigrant workers under the new act, and that babies born in Saipan automatically be U.S. citizens. Many Chinese are moving to take advantage of the act, the World Journal reports. Immigration services in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan have started programs like “Labor Export to Saipan” and “Deliver an American Baby in Saipan.” Expecting mothers pay anywhere from 140,000 to 240,000 RMB (about 20,000 to 35,000 USD) for the service that will allow them to deliver their babies in Saipan.

It seems that the business is growing. This month the Saipan baby tourism business caught the eye of the Saipan Tribune and major newspapers including Bloomberg Business Week. The South China Morning Post reported that Hong Kong and Canada have fallen out of favor as baby-tourist destinations and more Chinese mothers are looking to Saipan as their delivery place of choice. From the article:

One agency that specialises in helping mainlanders deliver babies in Saipan, a US island, charges just 70,000 yuan for round-trip tickets to the island, medical services and two months' food and accommodation. The island has not required visas for Chinese tourists since 2009, and the agency claims people born there automatically get US citizenship.

The staffer said several hundred mainland women had flown to the island each year since 2009 to have their babies.

Saipan Baby (Kelly) Goes After Saipan Tribune

Click PDF to read page

SaipanBaby.com took issue with a Saipan Tribune article, by Haidee Eugenio that was published this week. The site printed this statement on their website (roughly translated from Chinese):

KELLY'S DECLARATION ABOUT THE the REPORT

Yesterday I known that the Saipan Tribune had reported us. The charge, process,
policy and so on. I'm so surprised that nothing can be done.The newspaper and
the reporter are too free and have nothing to do.

Our clients like delivering baby in Saipan.We offer services. That 's equal. They pay. We service. They give us what we want. We give them what they want.
Nothing to discuss. If somebody be angry or dislike, that's his problem of himself. Nobody can interfere our business.

The reporter, listen! You should pay more attention to public security, local
of economy depression and bad human and culture environment in. Saipan.
You should pay more attention to the whores be heisted in Garapan on
daytime.You should pay more attention to marriage illegal cause it now
become worse and worse in this small island.You should pay more attention
to the society contradictions becoming increasingly acute but not us.You are
wasting your time, wasting the newspaper's page and also wasting our time.

The reporter, look! I have a good idea to you: Call your government to revise
the law. Then nobody can get the citizenship by giving birth there.If you can,
just do it. If you can not, shut up and get out!

Finally, next time if you want to report us better call me first and the request
my agreement.Better in Chinese cause my English is just soso.If in Chinese,
I can correct you in some place.You have a lot of mistakes in the knowledge.
Next time if we have chance better we sit together and I will teach you
something. Our business is a complicated article and technique.
Not so the simple as you think!

This extremely unprofessional rant may get the baby tourism business more attention than they expected. Maybe their statement against the Tribune will get the attention of the U.S. Departments of Homeland Security, State and Justice. The "nobody can interfere in our business" line may be wrong. Does this business have a business license in the CNMI? Who are the owners?

Certainly the readers of the website who are considering having a baby in Saipan will think twice when they read about "whores heisted in Garapan" in the day. What tourist, whether a vacationer or visitor intending to give birth, wants to go to an island like that!?

It would be great if Haidee or another reporter interviewed Melvin Grey, Juan Babauta and others to see what they think of this baby tourist industry.

Several hundred women paying cash at CHC each year to deliver babies must contribute to the cash flow problems, which may be why the practice is ignored by CNMI officials.

Both Saipan Baby.com and Saipanbb.com site lure the women with promises of free schooling and benefits for the U.S. citizen child. The home page of Kelly, Saipanbaby.com, has photos of the Capitol Building in Washington, the American flag and the Statue of Liberty. It is certainly a backdoor to the U.S. Here is a rough translation of the Chinese from the Kelly (saipanbaby.com) website that outlines the benefits:

"You may not know, the United States is an island - Northern Mariana Islands, Chinese visitors to the purposes of visa-free, it is Saipan. Have been countless mothers across the oceans have a child in Saipan, and American identity for the children each year. Mothers who intend to go to Saipan for birth confinement Saipan, the USA sub-center looks forward to you and your baby in the United States Saipan warm home. We offer a complete, labor and postpartum services, your month of homey feeling, so that mothers can sit comfortably in Saipan. . .

. . . lets you easily into the United States give birth, and at the end of the month you can hold a U.S. passport and you and the baby return home. Life of the United States to give birth to the child an identity, let her (him) win at the starting point, this is Mom and Dad led its left baby millions of family property, might as well give him (or her) a United States citizen identity, in the future Chinese competition on stage, your baby has won at the starting point!

Kelly month sub-center is located between the mountains, around the living environment is quiet and elegant. The house is a villa-style apartment buildings, bright and spacious. Here you can enjoy the resort's family life, we are Saipan only a family-month sub-center, non-intermediary organizations. Many apply for agency expertise and handle the lack of experience caused great losses to our customers, including the charge of a large number of intermediary fees, pregnant women refused entry by customs, visas adverse records, accommodation and the description does not match. Many companies are now mixed fish heads, good and bad, we solemnly declare: all-inclusive of the 70,000 yuan in our children! Includes: air tickets, birth, stay two months, meals, document processing, hospital escort, meal delivery, Yuesao care, transportation, translation, and all costs! Let your baby successfully get a U.S. passport! ! Also lay a solid foundation for your future family moved to the United States! !

Became a U.S. citizen. Benefits: Your child will immediately have U.S. citizenship, the enjoyment of civil rights; 21 years of age, parents and siblings can apply for dependents, with a permanent green card. No need to wait for the quota, future immigration conditions.
U.S. citizen children attending U.S. public elementary school to high school, and completely free tuition. The university can enjoy a tuition discount of U.S. citizens, and student loans. U.S. citizens attending public universities, the Institute of tuition as long as a fraction of the foreign students, preferential access to the well-known universities. U.S. citizens enjoy generous scholarship of the university, but also enjoy very low interest rate student loans. U.S. citizens can serve as priority the U.S. government, government agencies and large U.S. companies important leadership positions.

U.S. citizens to enjoy more than 180 diplomatic allies worldwide visa-free entry, the most favorable entry and exit convenient seven U.S. citizens enjoy generous social welfare and advanced medical equipment. . . Kelly month sub-center is you and your child's best friend in Saipan, full service only 70,000 yuan, including: air tickets, birth, stay two months, meals, document processing, hospitals escort, meal delivery, Yuesao care, transportation, translation, and all costs! Record the lowest price, so you get the most satisfying benefits with the lowest cost! Domestic contract booking and pay a small deposit, most of the costs paid to enter the island, more at ease, more at ease! Kelly month of center I wish every mother's dream come true!

The services offered by the baby tourism sites include "clearance training" for getting past immigration officials. (Why would they have to get past immigration?) The site states (roughly translated from Chinese):

We will provide you with a Kelly pass secrets (fine, containing eight chapters eight method) and carefully prepared. Prior to departure, you are requested video with us, we need to see pregnant women at the border of clothing, wearing, and pregnant women, strict immigration and customs training, pass the training time for about two hours. International roaming for your phone, to the island contact. Do not bring any clothes for the baby and delivery or supplies and to ensure that the luggage.

The site also tells how the mother will be helped at the hospital and to get U.S. documents for the newborn:

The center will create a profile in a private hospital for check and check-ups include: blood tests, routine examination, B-ultrasound, fetal heart rate monitoring, and other private doctor delivered or surgeon. . .delivery in large hospital. Throughout the delivery process, the sub-center female interpreter will accompany the client. A Yuesao (nanny) will be provided in the hospital to take care of the newborn, the center staff will deliver meals for mothers when discharged through the discharge formalities and apply for baby of the birth certificate.

After the birth certificate is issued the center staff goes to the Capitol Hill passport office to apply for baby passport (Urgent, 1-3 weeks desirable), and for baby SS card (take cards) and baby within a month travel permit (a month).

I wonder what impact, if any, this revelation will have on the Department of Homeland Security's generous policy of issuing Russian and Chinese visa waivers to Saipan.

Governor Fitial and AG Buckingham are off to Washington, DC again on the latest junket. Undoubtedly their agenda will include meeting with their highly paid attorneys and consultants to push the lawsuit that they filed against the U.S. Government over Social Security being applied to the foreign workers.

High on their agenda will also most likely be meetings with DHS, Fitial's Republican allies and others to convince them to follow the points in the other lawsuit against DHS and USCIS that Buckingham threatened to file in January. Buckingham announced that DHS and USCIS were meeting their demands after several conference calls so the lawsuit has been called off. It appears that the Fitial Administration wants to "work with" ICE and USCIS to review any lists of "overstayers" so that they can ensure deportation of any person that they want to leave. For instance those who have had wages stolen by political allies and the like.

I'm surprised that you wrote this. Don't forget that before the impending Federalization of the CNMI's immigration system the number of new babies born from contract workers spiked dramatically. Yes many call Saipan home but also have entire families living in the PI whom they send money to. Thousands have families in both the CNMI and the PI. Two wives and many children. The difference between a Chinese or Korean flying over to give birth is that they actually have money and stability to support that child. The contract worker who has a baby in the CNMI right before federaliztion is almost certainly having that child to better their chances of staying in America. If you say that they are not then neither are the Chinese or Koreans.

9:31 Surprised I wrote this? There is absolutely no comparison between mothers -de facto citizens -giving birth in the country where they live and work with aliens flying to Saipan ONLY for the purpose of having a child born there to gain U.S. citizenship. NO COMPARISON AT ALL! Furthermore, EVERY legal, longterm foreign worker (over 5 years residency in the CNMI) should have been granted green cards by now. The "two wives" thing is old too. Do you have data to support that "thousands" claim? I would like to see it if you do. If you don't, please just state the facts and stop trying to vilify innocent people.

You said that women should be able to procreate anywhere anytime for whatever reason they wish whether it's for financial reasons or not. BTW 'defacto citizens' is something that you call the guest workers Wendy, not the United States Government. So they fly over to the US to give birth to better their child's life and your point is? Isn't that why contract workers stay as long as they can and send as much money home as they can? they are trying to better their lives. It's a business too.

Lots of manufacturers pretend their goods are "made in the USA," when in fact, the parts and most of the assembly are done in a foreign country, and then the finishing touches are done in the US. Seems to me that's the case with the babies labeled "Made in the USA" in your graphic at the top of the post: the parts were manufactured in China or Korea, and even put together there, and only the finished product emerged on US soil.

Wendy, there is some truth to what 9:31 said about workers with two families.I have had three of my past workers(that I was made aware of) submit false information such as annulment and death certificates in the Phil. to National Statistic Office (NSO) so they could clear and get the required paperwork from the Phil so they could marry in Saipan at the Mayors office.The only reason that I happen to find out about this was because these three I happened to be close to their wives and family in different parts of the Phil. I visit them when I traveled to those parts.One guy disappeared after he got a "green Card" along with his local wife and his 3 kids.The local wife left her kids with her sister for a few days but never returned. (now three years)I only found out he was married to his girl friend after the fact as his real wife in the Phil. was calling me and crying that she was not receiving any more money and what happened to him?The other one I found out after the fact also, he left to the US mainland and but still sending his real wife and kids money in the Phil.(last time I had visited them.The other is still here and sending money back home and also has a "green Card" Besides them being bigamists and also Immigration fraud, there will be interesting problems when ever the wife needs to get some kind of documents from NSO as they are either listed as dead or marriage annulled.It is too easy to get any kind of paperwork made including stamps to stamp the documents, either US or Phil stamps.In the area I have a house at, the roadside shoe repair guys make stamps for about 150 peso. Depending on the documents and what type of certification is needed it can run from 200 peso up to 10-15k peso.All they need is a picture for stamps, preferably an original paper with the stamp affixed and documents typed out that need the proper agency heading and stamps.

The reason I do not report these guys is because the two are supporting their family back home and if they were to go to jail that would be an end to the support, I feel sorry for the kids. One is in college already.The other one I reported because he had also stole some valuable items and also had borrowed money from many of my people on the guise he was going to Guam for a visa application.

You said: "You said that women should be able to procreate anywhere anytime for whatever reason they wish whether it's for financial reasons or not."I never said that.

"BTW 'defacto citizens' is something that you call the guest workers Wendy, not the United States Government." I was referring to the foreign workers as de facto citizens. What are you talking about? Reread.

"So they fly over to the US to give birth to better their child's life and your point is?"

My point is that this is a scam. They are not like the foreign workers who LIVE and WORK in the US and CONTRIBUTE to the US. They just want to take all the benefits. And we, as taxpayers should say, "Come on over and give birth here. Welcome every person in the world." Sorry, no.

"Isn't that why contract workers stay as long as they can and send as much money home as they can? it is not.they are trying to better their lives. It's a business too. " No. The contract workers have a mutually beneficial (give and take) relationship with the people and place where they work and serve. The mothers who come to have a baby in the CNMI have one goal -to take from the US all the benefits of US citizenship for their children and eventually for all.

How can people argue that we do not have room in the US for 16,000 LEGAL, LONG-TERM DEDICATED FOREIGN WORKERS, BUT THESE SAME PEOPLE ARGUE IT'S OK TO HAVE A BABY BUSINESS IN THE CNMI? GET REAL!

"The reporter, look! I have a good idea to you: Call your government to revise the law. Then nobody can get the citizenship by giving birth there. If you can,just do it. If you can not, shut up and get out!"

Let's take the challenge. I have an idea too. Everyone can contact DHS and say no more Chinese visa waivers. Close the back door. The Chinese bring drugs too. Do they have a seminar to teach how to smuggle drugs also? Pretty bold to tell the reporter to shut up too.

4.5 million children were born in the Mainland United States to Illegal Immigrants. These children are "made in the USA" as you peg it. Sounds like the United States has a serious problem that doesn't even involve website promotions or businesses. The parents of the children born in the CNMI are in the CNMI legally.

This problem of baby-delivery tourism is far more common in the mainland than in Guam and the CNMI. For good reason; the hospitals in the Marianas are of inferior quality! The CNMI definitely has the down-market segment.

Where is all the outrage about the many more who deliver children on the mainland? Check out Miami and Los Angeles.

[In fact, some conservatives want to change the 14th Amendment to eliminate such jus soli citizenship, or even bring frivolous lawsuits to stop it. However, I believe such proposals are ultimately racist, elitist, divisive, and contrary to an inclusive democratic society.]

Since this is legal and widespread throughout the U.S., it should be encouraged in the CNMI along with other medical tourism, to improve the quality of services CHC is able to provide in such a remote location.

Anchor Babies are just what it says, regardless to Chinese, Korean, Piony, etc. Having anchor babies has been the ultimate method of having a chance to stay in the U.S. There should be a time residency requirement (with legal status) for a child born on U.S. soil to be a U.S. Citizen.

This is clearly a SCAM!! Only few benefits from this. I don't think the govt can get something from this. Yes, it's a business but it's ILLEGAL business. Are they being taxed?

CNMI officials are deaf and mute, stupidly thinking they'll generate income from this. They're too blind to see this is a scam. Just walk along Beach road and you would see those Chinese/Korean pregnant women walking along with their nannies. It's common sense, garments who employ mostly Chinese are closed. So, are these pregnant women here? And what happened to airline policy about pregnant women?

To the teacher, for as long as we have a very ineffective and futile governor, then we remain in this mud. Fitial loves Chinese, he smells money from them. Chinese are his pals and probably financiers. He is selling CNMI to Chinese. Like I said before, Saipan is no more it's SaiTAN island now. Maybe in years ahead, the school you're working with is own by Chinese.

The US is so generous to Chinese. No more MADE IN US it's given to MADE IN CHINA. And now Chinese is on top. But hey, Chinese are most ungrateful people on earth I know, so we're dumb!

The crown jewel for the ultralibdem is for illegals to cross over to the US, have their children then inject them into the welfare system. Free medical, free hospitals, free school - free everything. Now if you happen to enter the US LEGALLY have your baby, get your passport you are committing a crime. Somehow in the mind of the ultralibdem anyone who appears to have money and finds a legal loophole is the devil. If you are dirt poor, can't afford two meals a day and still want to have six babies - that's acceptable.

7:42 You want to encourage foreigners to come to the CNMI to a hospital that doesn't pay its personnel on time (or at all), has broken equipment, lacks supplies and cannot pay its vendors? A hospital that is probably the worst on US soil? And this is because you see it as a way for CHC to make money? So what are you saying -to hell with the safety and health of the foreigners as long as the CNMI gets money off of them? Pretty harsh.

8:19 Maybe that is a good idea. At least a person should living or working legally in the US -not just "vacationing" or going to the US just to get US citizenship for a baby to have the child be granted US citizenship.

Taglish, I know you are frustrated, but the Chinese I know (and I know many) are wonderful, generous and loving people. Some are my closest friends. This is a scam, not just limited to Chinese, but by many "tourists" who seek to take advantage of the law providing for instant US citizenship to those born on US soil.

9:33 You haven't the faintest idea of what an "ultralibdem" thinks so please, speak only for yourself.

Taglish, I have no animosity toward any Chinese person. I admire the cohesive nature of their society and am fascinated with their history, culture, cuisine, and have vacationed there several times.

The grossly mismanaged CNMI can’t handle the societal effects caused by the visa waivers in many areas. The NMI is corrupt so we will attrack criminals evidenced by our Governor and legislature recruiting "investors". We have already seen an increase in ice and violent crime (see Emie and Ema), which is certain to continue. Should the NMI legalize gaming, we would see crimes against tourists daily, watch rapid growth in the sex trade industry, and guarantee a steep rise in organized crime.

America allows English and Japanese citizens visa waivers for a reason. They also refuse poorer nations like China and the Philippines for a reason. So, for the same reason China doesn’t allow impoverished Chinese citizens to enter Hong Kong, the Commonwealth should employ the same logic. All positive and negative points considered for the CNMI, I vote NO for visa waivers.

I'm glad that this kind of business was published here. At least those people pinpointing Pilipino contract workers are making SAIPAN breading Place will realize that they are just WRONG. It's very clear that most of the people involved in this kind of BUSINESS are mostly Chinese. Even in most cases involving "ice" trafficking, majorities are Chinese nationals who are here in Saipan as well as the "I often hear called Prostitutes somewhere in Garapan area," still NEVER HEARD COMMENTS from People Concern or maybe I just din't hear if there's any.